Greetings from a Newbie

Hello! I'm glad to have found a site dedicated to the exact area that my ancestors are from... I have been bitten, recently, by the geneology bug - but have always wondered about the lives of my ancestors and have felt the desire to know their names and key dates in their lives.

My paternal grandparents were born in (or around) Huitzila, Zac. My grandfather (Apolonio Castro Bañuelos, b. circa 1921) came to the US in the 40's (settled in California later) and then brought my grandmother (Maria de Jesus Correa Uribe) and some children, with the rest being born here in the U.S.

I have had some trouble digging up names from some databases - mostly of my grandparents themselves and their parents generation, which I attribute (correctly or not), to a possible fire in the town church/record hall, possibly during the Cristero war? (The idea of the fire comes from my grandmother). They have never known their real birthdays.

My grandfather's parents: *Damaso/Damas (*or some other form) Castro Tejeda and Petra Bañuelos Herrera.

My grandmother's parents: Leopoldo Correa *Vasquez (b. 1898, El Teul, Zac.) and Maria Altagracia Uribe Campos (absolutely nothing on her).

Just recently I have found two marriage dates for my grandfather's grandparents!

Nicolás Castro
m. Simona *Tejeda (*or Tegeda, as it was written in the digital entry)
11th Feb. 1874
Mezquital Del Oro, Zac.

and also,

Genaro Bañuelos
m. Epigmenia Herrera
12th Oct. 1884
San Cristóbal de la Barranca, Jal. (Just over the border from Zac.)

I am lucky enough to have a grandmother who recounted not only all of her grandparents' names, but also the names of my grandfather's grandparents (!) - so I'm quite sure they're correct (As the dates/places seem right).

But have no idea where to go from there! Have any advice?

Thanks so much,
Michael D. Castro